Means for reefing sails



(No Model.)

F. F. MARTIN.

MEANS FOR KEEPING SAILS.

No. 373,671. Patented Nov. 22, 1887.

gmvawtoz i/witness a o N. PEYERS. Phoimlilfiographcr,

UNITED STATES PATENT rricn,

FRANK FRUCTUOSO MARTIN, OF GLOUCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

MEANS FOR REEFlNG SAILS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 373,671, dated November 22, 1887.

Application filed July 28, 1887. SerialNo. 245,367. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it 72mg concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK Fnucrooso lYIARTIN,Z1 citizen of the United States, residing at Gloucester, in the county ofEssex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means forTaking a Reef in Sails; and I do declarethei'ollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appert'ains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of refer ence marked 1hereou,which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to devices for reeling sails, and has for its object to devise a simple construction and arrangement of reef-tackle and reef-eyelets whereby the ends of the reefloops may extend on one side of the sail above the foot thereof, so that in reeling the strain will come on one side of the sail, thereby facilitating the operation of reeling and preventing the foot of the sail being cut by the rent loops, which usually pass about it.

The improvement further consists in the novel features of construction of parts, hereinafter more fully described, claimed, and shown in the annexed drawings, in which- Figure 1 is aside view of asail boat or yacht, parts being broken away, showing the application of my invention; and Fig. 2,a detail per spective view ofa portion of the sail, showing a reef-loop and the manner of connecting it with the main reef-line.

The boat A is provided with the mast B, bowsprit O, niaiusail D, and halyard E, of old and well'known construction. The sail at a suitable distance above its foot is provided with a series of reefeyelets, F, and below each of said eyelets, close to the foot of the sail, is arranged a group of three eyelets. Two eye lets, e e, of each group are in line with the corresponding eyelet F, and the third eyelet, 6

is arranged to one side of a straight line passing through the two eyelets e and e and opposite the space between them. The reefloops G pass through the reef-eyelets F and extend down on each side of the sail. The end ofthe loop on one side of the sail passes through the eyelet e to the opposite side of the sail, and the other end of the loop passes through eyelet e and back to the same side of the sail through eyelet 6. By this arrangement all the ends of the reef-loop are on the same side of the sail and connect with the main reef-line H a little above the foot of the sail.

The sail is reefed, in the usual manner, by hauling in on the reef-line, and is uureefed by drawing down on the halyard E.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

1. The combination, with the sail having a series of reefeyelets above the foot of the sail at desired distances, and eyeletsin corresponding groups of three arranged near the foot of the sail, of the reef-loops passed through the upper set of eyelets and having one end of each loop passed through one of the eyelets of the corresponding group ofeyelets, and having the other end of the loops passed back and forth through the remaining two eyelets of said groups, and the reef-line connecting the free ends of the reef-loops on one side of the sail, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the sail having a set of eyelets ata distance above its foot and corresponding groups of three eyelets arranged, as shown, close to its foot, of the reefloops passed through the upper eyelets and having one end of the loops passed through one eyelet of each of said groups and the other end of the loop passed back and forth through the remaining two eyelets of each group to the same side of the sail from which it first departed, and the main reef-line having the ends of the reef-loop connected therewith on the same side of and above the foot of the said sail, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK FRUGTUOSD MARTIN.

'Witnesses:

FRANK N. HODGKINS, WM. P. DoLLIvnR. 

